Knights continue growth despite disappointing finish

Sophomores Mario'Mason, left, and Scott Winston each fell short
of the podium at the NCAA'Tournament to end a season that saw
incredible dual-meet success.

The Rutgers wrestling team does not get another chance to bring
home an All-American for at least another calendar year.

Scott Winston has to wait 12 months before he can avenge his
triple-overtime loss in the Round of 12 to Lehigh's Brandon
Hatchett. Fellow sophomore Mario Mason has to wait the same amount
of time before he gets another crack at reaching the podium.

And head coach Scott Goodale must spend that time answering
skeptics who question when this team will break through and become
a legitimate title contender.

Goodale and the Scarlet Knights know the answer can be found as
soon as now, in an offseason dedicated to building up a mental
toughness to not be denied.

"The one thing we take away from the national tournament is that
we just need to be tougher," Goodale said. "Wrestling-wise, we are
right on par with everyone else in the country. We just have to
find a way to break through. That might mean a 6 o'clock run every
morning in the middle of July. It's about putting yourself through
hell now, so you won't give in as easily in a match when it
counts."

The Knights proved their talent is among the best of the country
during a regular season that saw the squad post a school-record 21
wins with just a pair of losses.

The wins occurred against some easy opponents, but also against
prominent national programs such as Virginia Tech, Missouri and
upstart American.

"There were some great highlights from this year, both as a team
and individually," said Goodale, whose squad is The Daily Targum's
Team of the Year for the second straight year. "We beat
All-Americans across the board and 21-2 is nothing to hold your
head down about. It's just the way it ended that leaves a sour
taste in my mouth."

That sour taste not only resides in Goodale's mouth, but also
transcends the coaching staff and wrestlers who came so close to
bringing Rutgers its first All-American in a decade.

With two years of eligibility left, Winston leads the charge for
next year's team despite offseason reconstructive knee surgery.

"I need to take some time off to let my body heal, but if it
were up to me, I'd be in the room right away," the 165-pounder
said. "I can't wait to be back on the mat. I can't wait to work out
all summer. I can't wait to be in the room everyday. I'm not going
to be happy if I'm just an All-American next year. I'm only going
to be happy if I'm a national champ."

Both on and off the mat, Winston headlines a trio of grapplers
responsible for installing the toughness Goodale wants to see in
his entire lineup.

The fourth-year coach turned to Winston, Mason and rising senior
Billy Ashnault to take on the coaching responsibilities.

"We are doing a little bit of an experiment with these next
three weeks where it's going to be Mason, Ashnault and Winston's
team," Goodale said. "We, as a staff, are around, but they are in
charge of the workouts. We just ask that they invite us to
practice."

This laissez-faire approach occurs at a time of re-evaluation
for all, including the head coach.

"[The toughness is] something we have to fix, and honestly, it's
the first time that I felt like I have to handle this adversity,"
Goodale said. "I never had this adversity at Jackson [Memorial High
School] because we always won. I wasn't worried my first three
years at Rutgers because nobody expected anything. Now, there is
adversity and how we handle it over the course of this summer and
into the fall is going to be huge for this program."

Looking ahead to next season, the Knights will certainly be
tested. The team signed a four-year contract to schedule Oklahoma
State and will also host the National Duals.

To help bolster its roster, Rutgers also welcomes three
highly-touted recruits to its ranks. New Jersey state champs Billy
Smith and Anthony Perrotti along with New York state champion
Steven Rodrigues will all compete for starting spots in areas of
need.

But the storyline for next season picks up where this year's
left off: How does the team respond and take the next step toward
being a consistent national force?

"This sport is all about confidence, and at the end of the day,
it's all about how you handle pressure," Goodale said. "We handled
it at the EIWA Tournament, but we didn't handle it at the national
tournament — the biggest stage of wrestling."